For the second time in three years, the school finished second overall in the TAPPS State Academic Meet.

Both meets took place April 3-5 in Waco.

Senior Nicholas Aranda took first place in Persuasive Speaking and finished second in Original Oratory. Aranda, along with junior William Pena, were co-champions in Lincoln/Douglas Debate. This marked the second consecutive year Holy Cross claimed the Lincoln/Douglas Debate state championship. Ben Fullerton and Jose Villafuerte, who both graduated in 2016, were co-champions a year ago.

Also winning a state championship for HCCA was junior Abby Rickwartz, who took top honors in Literary Criticism. Rickwartz also participated in Social Studies, capturing fourth and in Mathematics, finishing eighth.

Other Holy Cross students who took part in the state meet were:
• Sophomore Makaela Webb, who finished fifth in Original Oratory;
• Sophomore Anthony Innocenti, who captured fifth place in Poetry Interpretation;
• Junior Gabriel Moreno, who took fifth place in Spanish;
• Sophomore Joey Benitez, who finished sixth in Science;
• Senior Claudia Moreno, who captured seventh place in Advanced Math and eighth in Spanish;
• Senior Andrea Wallace, who took eighth in Calculator Applications;
• Freshman John Reeves, who finished fourth in Applied Design and eighth in Current Events and Issues;
• Sophomore Mary Huseman, who captured eighth place in Prose Interpretation;
• Senior Kayla Wilhelm, who took eighth in Ready Writing;
• Junior Jacob Davila, who finished eighth in Drawing in Color; and,
• Freshman Aaron Vincent, who captured fourth and seventh in Painting.

Holy Cross students also took part in the TAPPS Solo/Ensemble Competition March 27 in Lubbock.

In the Class One Songs competition, five HCCA vocalists received a Division 1 Rating: juniors Gabriel Moreno, Patricio Villafuerte, Abby Rickwartz and Anna Phillips and senior Andrea Wallace. Sophomore Jenna Rickwartz received a Division Two Rating.
In the Class Two Songs event, senior Emmanuel Marquez and junior Jacob Davila received a Division 1 Rating, while junior Teagan Rangel received a Division Two Rating.

In Trio competition, the AKA Trio, consisting of seniors Kayla Wilhelm and Andrea Wallace and junior Anna Phillips, received a Division 1 Rating.
Wallace also received a Division 1 Rating in the Violin Solo, Class One Solo competition.

In the Instrumental, Class Three Songs portion of the contest, four HCCA students earned a Division 1 Rating: sophomores Joey Benitez and Shane Huseman and seniors Nicholas Aranda and Ryan Huseman. Freshman Selena Luna received a Division 2 Rating.

Holy Cross musicians and choir members will next participate in the TAPPS State Band Competition Tuesday, April 18 in Temple. The school’s hand chimes team will take part in the TAPPS State Hand Chimes Meet on Wednesday, April 19, also in Temple and the choir will compete Saturday, April 22 in the TAPPS State Choir meet in Waco.

The Mustangs and Lady Mustangs golf teams will tee it up Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25 in the TAPPS Class 1A State Golf meet at Stone Tree Golf Course in Killeen, while the track teams will work for berths in the state TAPPS meet Saturday, April 29 in the Regional Track Meet at Burleson. The state meet is set for Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 at Waco.